Press Releases

Chairman Graves Statement on November Jobs Report

WASHINGTON— House Small Business Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO) today issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of Labor reported that 120,000 jobs were created in November while the unemployment rate fell to 8.6 percent:

“November’s employment numbers are positive news in a year filled with despair and frustration for many struggling American families and small businesses. But let us not forget about the still outrageously high underemployment rate, which includes part-time workers who’d prefer a full-time position and people who want work but have given up looking. One of my biggest concerns is that the economy is still growing too slowly to replace the millions of jobs that have been lost over the last several years, and unfortunately the policies under this administration simply are not helping. House Republicans have put forth an aggressive pro-growth agenda this year, passing more than 20 jobs bills, including our Committee’s Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2011 yesterday, but unfortunately all of these bills lie idle in the Senate. Many of the small businesses around the nation want to build on their seasonal hires, but they are uncertain about what their taxes and regulations will be in the new year. As we approach the Holiday season, there is no better gift to give our nation than to free up our small businesses to create jobs by peeling back unnecessarily burdensome regulations, ending the continual threats of tax hikes, and addressing the cloud of federal debt that hangs over our economy.”